Källenius likely to be reelected as ACEA president

The rumours were reported by the German business publication Handelsblatt, citing industry sources. Typically, the ACEA president serves a one-year term beginning in January, with the option for reelection once. In early December, an association committee is expected to vote on the president for 2026, but Källenius’ reelection is apparently considered a formality. The ACEA declined to comment when contacted for a statement.

The Mercedes CEO assumed the presidency of the influential EU automotive industry lobby group in January, succeeding then-Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who led the ACEA in 2023 and 2024. Previously, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse held the role of Europe’s top auto lobbyist for two years. The association represents 16 major manufacturers of passenger cars, trucks, vans, and buses in Europe. German members include Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler Truck, while the Stellantis Group, with its German brand Opel, rejoined in 2025 after a temporary departure.

During his likely second term, Källenius is expected to continue prioritising CO₂ regulation in his honorary role. Although the Swedish-born executive initially aimed for a fully electric vehicle portfolio by 2030 at Mercedes, he later abandoned this target in favour of a longer-term strategy that includes internal combustion engines and hybrids alongside fully electric vehicles.

As ACEA president, Källenius has repeatedly advocated this year, through open letters and interviews, for easing the EU’s 2035 CO₂ targets. He has called for a “realistic path to decarbonising the European automotive industry.” This position aligns with the ACEA’s monthly reports on new vehicle registrations across Europe: the association frequently notes that the market share of battery-electric vehicles “remains below the pace required for this phase of the transition,” despite BEVs being among the fastest-growing powertrain types.

Update 03 December 2025

The Board of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has re-elected Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, for a second term as ACEA President in 2026. Källenius is also setting the tone for his second year at the helm of the association: “competitiveness and market-driven decarbonisation high on agenda,” states the headline of the press release announcing his re-election.

“It is our strong conviction that decarbonisation goals can only be achieved when paired with a strong agenda for global competitiveness and value chain resilience,” said Källenius. “This has driven our work in 2025 and will continue to do so in 2026.”

The EU Commission’s upcoming ‘car package,’ which includes the revision of CO2 standards for cars and vans, legislation on environmentally friendly company fleets and the Automobile and Bus Act, will be “a defining moment for the EU to adopt a more pragmatic course,” according to the ACEA. In fact, there is likely to be a softening of the 2035 CO2 targets, as has long been demanded by the industry and Källenius himself.

“Flexibilities, technology openness and targeted policies for cars, vans, trucks and buses remain essential to get the green transformation and Europe’s industrial competitiveness back on track,” added Källenius. “We have high expectations, as there is a lot at stake.”

handelsblatt.com (in German), acea.auto (update)

This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.